C-Notes: Scene's Music Blog

What to Do Tonight: Seabear

With Björk and Sigur Rós as its best-known musical exports, it’s easy to understand why some people might have a certain knee-jerk reaction to hearing about a “new band from Iceland.” As it turns out, Seabear would appear to be from a part of Reykjavik a tad closer to planet Earth — with a chamber-pop-meets-indie-folk sound more akin to Iron & Wine or Sufjan Stevens than any of the band’s eccentric countrymen. Not to be confused with Panda Bear, Bear in Heaven, Grizzly Bear or Bears, Seabear actually have been making music for a few years now, originally starting as a solo project for frontman Sindri Már Sigfússon. Gradually, the band expanded into a seven-piece touring act, earning buzz with its cottony-soft 2007 debut The Ghost That Carried Us Away. But it’s only now that Seabear are finally invading the U.S. as part of a long world tour in support of their latest album, We Built a Fire. They may not be as unpredictable as Björk or as epic as Sigur Rós, but Seabear could certainly craft out a solid niche for themselves among fans of indie-rock’s poppier, more introspective artists. They play the Grog Shop (2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Hts., 216.321.5588, grogshop.gs) at 9 p.m., with Via Tania and Soley opening. Tickets: $10. — Andrew Clayman